Planning and Structuring an Essay

Development 

At this point in the project I felt as though my investigation lacked a main area of focus. While the current independent music scene is something that really interests me, I don't know if it's something I would realistically be able to write a relevant and well informed essay about.

I chose to speak about my concerns to Pete, hoping he could help me narrow down my research to something more focused.

Issues with current project 

-Too broad and vague

-Lack of focus is making research harder; there are so many possible avenues it's overwhelming//trying to undertake too much

-Not enough academic sources to look at in response to question

-Do I want to focus on music youth culture now (does it exist//compare to old subcultures//is it as powerful?) or should I look at a past subculture? Compare it to now? How would I go about it?

Dilution 

During the tutorial, I rose the point of independent music venues, something that had come up through both theoretical and practical research, and how that interested me. I was thinking about how the independent music scene can inform the overall mainstream, and it was suggested that I look at the Hacienda Club in Manchester. This is something I know little about but has really sparked my interest! The idea of a single venue really helping to push and create a new subculture in Britain has given me not only something interesting to work with, but something a lot more focused too!

Moving On

From this point on I've got a more focused avenue of research! It is now about seeking out theoretical and practical elements that will help me develop it further.  I also feel as though I'm getting closer to a solid essay question now, currently; How did the Hacienda Club influence the growth of small music venues // start the raver movement?

Visual things to look at include;

-Photos from the Hacienda Club

-Rave Photos

-24 Hour Party People (film)

-Rave Documentaries in general?

The 1975 & RatBoy Small Venue Gigs

Though I think I want my essay to focus on a past subculture and how that brings together British youth through music, I thought this event was still worth mentioning. I recently went to two gigs, both featuring the alternative bands The 1975 and Ratboy, that were held in small venues around the UK (I attended Rockcity, Nottingham, and Bridlington Spa, Bridlington). The gigs came about in anticipation of The 1975's new album set to release in February. The band wanted to test out some new material on the road prior to the album release, and set out a November tour for the UK.

What struck me about these dates was that all the venues had been specifically chosen for their small capacities and intimate nature. During their Rockcity session, the venue was in fact too small for their background lighting affects, so they played without a backdrop. The decision to chose such small venues, they say, came from a desire to get back to their roots and play to people who really wanted to see them play; to connect with people in an intimate way and get back to where they started.

It seems that even in today's society the want for creating a real connection with people through music is still something very vital; having a crowd that feel as though they are a community is something that bands still want despite fame or fortunes. It's this spiritual link between clan mentality and feeling of place, and music, that I want both my essay and practical work to capitalise on.

Practical Research [Indie Gig]

Knowing I wanted to investigate the two themes of youth culture and music, I went to a local gig at an independent venue (Wharf Chambers) in Leeds to see if there was much of an underground scene going on.

In Hull the local music scene is something both myself, and a lot of people I know, are really in to. The appeal of going to see lesser known bands in small venues appeals a lot on a community and inclusivity level. I've noted regularly how often people become invested in their local scene, getting to know the bands playing the usual circuits, and how this resolves in a more enriching environment for all involved.

Going to Wharf Chambers, the numbers of attendees were quite on the low side, with approximately twenty people, at most, in attendance. However the general mood of the room was still one of involvement. It was this intimacy that really got me thinking about my project, the little nuances of both musicians and audience members that showed their interest in one another really stood out to me. The idea of music bringing British youth culture together is something I would like to continue to look into throughout my work in this project. The indie underground scene is something that really interests me, but I'm wary of having enough information to draw upon if I were to tackle this project through that avenue. Could it really be called a 'modern subculture' or is it just a leisure activity?

I think at this point, while I'm very interested in the current scene, it would maybe make more sense to look at past subcultures and how they brought together youth through music rather than trying to understand if it's still occurring now.

Start of Practical Research [Rave Night]

At this point in my research, I knew I wanted to focus on British youth culture and music, and having listed a number of possible subcultures to investigate, when the opportunity arose to attend a 90s Rave themed club night I took it as a way of gathering some primary research in how youth culture interact with the so called 'rave' scene.

The night boasted to play a mixture of both 'classic rave and house' tracks alongside more contemporary house//jungle jams. I made sure to make notes of overheard conversations and take photos to draw from afterwards.

The night as a whole echoed my preconceptions of what I thought a club 'rave' night would be; while many people branded rave stereotypes in their accessories (the club also gave out free glow-sticks, glow bands and neon face painting in exchange for a donation to charity) the night as a whole was just like any other club night. Smily decorations and glowing balloons were a weak homage to a past subculture, and it made me think does rave culture really exist now as it did in the late 80s//90s? Of course this is only one club night, but it did highlight how corporations jumped onto the rave scene and diluted it. 

Essay Investigation; Study Task 2

CULTURE

Sub-themes; Music and subcultures

- Links between them

- Do they exist now

- Politics of subcultures; does that exist now?

- Subcultures; mods, punks, skinheads, hippies, ravers ect VS indie, emo, chav, goth, scene kids

- Zines? Album covers?

- Exposing youth subcultures today? Megahex?

- Subcultures from the 1960's and how it's evolved since then?

- Today's subcultures more broad and less defined? People listening to a range of music now? Having different political views? Fashion? 

PHENOMENON RELATED TO THEME

Raves

Gigs

Fanpages (social media//websites)

Arenas

Pubs

Small Music Venue

Underground Music Scenes

Local Music Scenes

Posters

Ticket Stubs

Films

Music Documentaries 

BOOKS

Subcultures, Cultural Histories and Social Practice 

Acid Dreams, the CIA LSD and Sixties Rebellion

Club Cultures, Music Media and Subcultural Capital

ACADEMIC SOURCES

Crouch, C and Pearce, J (2012) 'Doing Research in Design'

Cambridge University 'How to Write a Great Research Paper'

'How to Create a Research Question'

Popular Music and Youth Culture; Music Identity and Place

Music, Space and Place, Popular Music and Cultural Identity